<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Fire In The Blood by TheWritingFox</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28616190">Fire In The Blood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingFox/pseuds/TheWritingFox'>TheWritingFox</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Wolf Tracks [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steam Powered Giraffe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Injury, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Violence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, werewolf problems</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:35:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,912</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28616190</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingFox/pseuds/TheWritingFox</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After an minor accident involving some silver, Sage doubts if she should stay at the Manor.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Wolf Tracks [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086764</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fire In The Blood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Well, this is a hurty one. I promise there will be fluff, eventually. 😅</p><p>Also, fun fact about Sage; She can shift into her wolf form whenever she wants, but on the full moon she can't turn back into her human form until the next day. She's basically a big puppy while in wolf form.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sage Juniper was adjusting well to life at Walter Manor. It had been a few months, and she was pretty well liked by the others.</p><p>The new werewolf resident tended to be an insomniac and would sometimes complete her work assignments late into the night, or start baking something for the other human residents. Sometimes Zer0 would wander in when she was baking and watch, clearly wanting to assist somehow. The large robot was actually a big help, Sage just had to make sure he didn't try to microwave anything.</p><p> "Why are you still awake Sage?" Zer0 asked as he stirred a bowl of cake batter with a wooden spoon. "It's pretty late."</p><p> "Usually it's because of the full moon. But sometimes it's just..." Sage sighed quietly as she puts the first cake into the oven before continuing and giving him a little smile. "I don't vibe with most of my dreams Zer0. But hey, at least hanging out like this is fun, right?"</p><p> Zer0 nods happily but he was still concerned. Humans, werewolf or not, needed to rest. He would keep an eye on her, he decided. They played a game of go fish while they waited for the oven to ding. Zer0 didn't press her for more information about  why she had such bad dreams. If she was ready to tell him, he knew she would. The werewolf and Walter bot had become pretty good friends during her stay at the Manor.</p><p>■■■■</p><p> The next day Sage was tasked with helping the Walter Workers and Six clean out an old storage room. Peter Walter the Sixth dug around in an old steamer trunk in the corner of the room as the Workers tackled some of the dusty boxes in the middle of the room. As she was moving, the bottom of the cardboard box Sage was carrying suddenly gave out and spilled it's contents on the floor.</p><p> "Shoot! I'm sorry boss, I hope nothing fragile was in here" Sage apologizes as she kneels down to pick up the strewn objects. She lets out a pained yelp a moment later when something sharp hidden under a bunch of papers and cloths pricks her hand.</p><p> An old silver brooch burned Sage where the pin had jabbed into her palm. She quickly yanks it out of her palm with a shaky hand. The pin pricked area throbbed and burned, turning the veins in her hand gray as the silver interacted with her bloodstream. Burning pain courses up her arm with each heart beat. Werewolves and silver don't mix, but this small exposure wouldn't kill her, only hurt like Hell.</p><p>The pain brought back horrible memories for Sage as she stood up, tears filling her now glowing yellow eyes. Her wolf ears had popped out and were now pinned back against her head as she whimpered. Walter Workers Chelsea and Camille were carefully approaching her, even Peter held a concerned look behind his mask, his body language suggested he was trying to calm her down, hands spread in placating manner.</p><p> Sage couldn't hear them past the heartbeat that pounded in her ears, but she could smell the fear from the Walter descendant and the Workers. Afraid she might hurt them on accident, she whimpers an apology and runs past them out of the room. </p><p>The silver in her blood stream prevented her from shifting completely from her so called "half borked" form as she ran down the corridors back to her room. Darting through the doorway, she curls into a ball on her bed. A low whimper was in her throat as the muscles in her arm spasmed, the veins pulsing gray from the silver exposure. The scars on her back and shoulders began burning as the silver tainted blood ran through her veins. </p><p>Whimpering in protest, memories she tried hard to bury were clawing their way back to the surface of her mind, her scars burned more fiercely as sobs hiccup out of her while she relived some of the worst parts of her life in her mind's eye.</p><p>■■■■</p><p> Not knowing if Sage had run back to her room or had gotten lost in the twists and turns of the Manor, Peter sent a text to all the robots, telling them what happened and to keep an eye out for her. Approach with caution, he had warned. There's no way to know what could happen. All he knew was that silver is obviously bad for werewolves. He and the Walter Workers went off in different directions to search for the trainee.</p><p>The bots spread out to try and find SJ. Zer0 was already near the corridor to her room, he decided to check there first. The sounds of crying and canine whimpering soon meet his audio receptors as he walks down the corridor. His optics widen and glow in concern when he peeks into her room to see Sage curled up tightly on the bed. She was shaking in fear and pain as he crouched down at the side of the bed. Sage had her eyes squeezed shut as she whimpered apologies and begged whoever was hurting her again to stop.</p><p> "Juni?" Zer0 asks gently.</p><p> As much as he wanted to rub her back comfortingly, he knew Sage hated it due to the sensitive scars. It would probably scare her more right now. He opts for petting her head softly and brushing his fingers through her hair and around her wolf ears.</p><p> "It's okay, you're gonna be okay" he soothes.</p><p>After a while, the Walter bot's kind voice finally registered with Sage along with his soft head pets,  bringing her back to the present. Opening her eyes, she sees the look of concern on his face. His petting was starting to calm her down a bit.</p><p> "Zer0? I-I'm sorry", she apologizes with a sniffle and tries to hide her face when she realizes her snaggle fang was visible now as well. "I'm a monster, I didn't want to hurt anyone....are Pete and the girls okay? They were afraid of me..." she couldn't help the tears that filled her eyes again at that thought.</p><p> "You're not a monster. Everyone is fine, Sage it's okay." Zer0 told her, he was concerned how warm her forehead was getting, according to the sensors in his fingers she was starting to run a fever. Probably a side effect from the silver.</p><p>As he comforted his friend, Zer0 sent a text to everyone to inform them that he found Sage. A flood of relief was sent over the WiFi by the bots. Peter requested that Sage should be taken to the med lab. The Walter bot agreed then signed off the network.</p><p> "Sage? You should get checked out in the med lab, I'll help you." Zer0 suggested to her as he softly caressed her brown hair.</p><p> "N-no, I'll be okay, jus need to sleep it off..." she mumbles, her words a little slurred as if drunk. </p><p>Her yellow eyes glow blearily up at him. She had stopped crying at least, but low whimpers still escaped every so often when the muscles in her arm spasmed, the veins in her arm still contracted and pulsed with a faint gray color under the skin.</p><p>Zer0 shook his head, brow creased in worry. He didn't think that was a good idea, especially if she was still in pain.</p><p> "Can I...give you a hug?", he asks carefully after a moment. He had an idea.</p><p> "O-okay... is it cold in here to you? Sage asks softly with a shiver. Even though she was starting to burn up, she felt so cold.</p><p>Zer0 carefully helps Sage sit up then wraps a blanket around her shoulders before hugging her then gently scooping her up in his arms a moment later. She was too out of it to really protest, and just laid her head weakly against his chest, snuggling into the warmth of his core and boiler as the automaton walked down the corridor and headed towards the med lab.</p><p>■■■■</p><p> Once Sage had woken back up in the med lab a few hours later and was cleared to leave, she headed back to her room to pack. Worry and guilt gnawed at her. What if she lost control and hurt someone the next time she freaked out like that?  These wonderful people had treated her like a family member. The fear of accidentally hurting someone was always there like a cloud over her head. Yet another reason to not stay in one place very long.</p><p>The phone buzzing in her pocket interrupt these thoughts. It was from Peter. He probably wanted to tender her resignation, she thought with a sigh and headed down the corridors to his office. She knocks on the door frame then lets herself in, glancing up at the keyhole masked man sitting behind the desk.</p><p> "Hey boss, I'll save you the trouble of firing me. I've already packed a bag. I can leave within the hour." Sage tells him then lowers her gaze to the floor.</p><p> "I--what no Sage, that's not what I called you in for. I don't want to fire you." Peter shakes his head, confusion apparent in his voice as he asks gently,  "Why would you think that?"</p><p> "I'm dangerous. I could've hurt you or the girls, I'm so sorry." Sage tried to keep her voice even, despite sniffling softly.</p><p> The masked Walter descendant shook his head sadly. "Sage, look at me please." </p><p>When she lifted her red rimmed, guilt filled hazel eyes to him, he gestured for her to sit in the chair across from him, then continued in a gentle tone after she sat down.</p><p> "Tell me, do you know exactly what's in Walter Manor?" Six asks as he leans back slightly in his chair. Sage shakes her head no. </p><p> "We have numerous, ever changing rooms. Robots that could very well crush someone if they accidentally fell or malfunctioned. Unstable Blue Matter experiments in the labs, and I'm pretty sure there's a pair of possessed suspenders somewhere in the sub-sub basement. What I'm trying to say is that you are not the most dangerous resident in the Manor, Sage."</p><p>As Peter concluded, he got up and sat at the edge of the desk nearest to Sage and offers her a clean handkerchief. She takes it gratefully and dabs her eyes.</p><p> "So, I can stay?" The question was soft and hopeful.</p><p> "Of course! You've been such a big help to everyone here. In all the times you've transformed into your wolf self, you've never hurt a fly. I know for a fact you'd never hurt anyone."</p><p> Relief washes over Sage as her shoulders drop the tension they were holding. She thanks Peter by giving him a quick hug then steps back and apologizes with an embarrassed smile. He was still her boss after all. Due to the situation however, Peter could understand her relief and happiness.</p><p>For the first time in a long while he was actually glad he had a mask. Sage couldn't see the blush that would've been forming over his cheeks, if his were still technically visible.</p><p>Once she was gone, Six opens the drawer on his desk and pulls out a small contraption he had been tinkering with. When it was finished, it would be able to scan boxes and containers and beep when it detected anything silver. He didn't want anything like that to happen to the Walter Worker trainee again.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>